


no proof, one touch

by thegirlofsmarts



Series: widojest week 2020 [4]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, might come at you like a fast one but look. it's fine it's cute, some clarity will be shed when you get there do not fret, they're technically together but like! it's not obvious until halfway in, things get messy but they have fun so its fine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-09
Updated: 2020-07-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:14:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25084510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thegirlofsmarts/pseuds/thegirlofsmarts
Summary: Messy painter, messy caster, messy lovers.
Relationships: Jester Lavorre/Caleb Widogast
Series: widojest week 2020 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1803091
Comments: 3
Kudos: 31
Collections: Widojest Week 2020





	no proof, one touch

**Author's Note:**

> prompt: paint/soot covered fingers  
> title: you are in love - taylor swift

Jester came upon the executive decision to spruce up the Xhorhaus, if only because the walls were all lacking some flair, and nobody objected to it— though she’s _pretty_ sure it’s only because they couldn’t care any less about whether or not she was painting the walls and whatnot, but— small victories. She decided the entryway was the best place to start, since it would be the first place anyone would see, and then further decided that she kind of missed Nicodranas and drawing the beachy shore and waves of its ocean wouldn’t be so bad to see in the eternal night that encapsulated Xhorhas. Jester had spent a good portion of the morning while everyone else was doing what they wanted on this off day buying paints— the _good_ paints that she probably got scammed for but ten gold is ten gold; she’d live— and excitedly buzzing about painting in such a big scale again, adrenaline coursing through her even as she was only laying the paint cans on the floor and laying out all her brushes.

Soon after a few hours, Jester was almost done with the shimmering blues of the shores and the buildings as she remembered them, a few a little more distinct than others if only because she had been more familiar with them such as the Lavish Chateau and Yussa’s tower. She was just fixing up a cloud to look like a dick if you looked at it in _just_ the right way when the door flew wide open and she quickly shot out with her tail to hold what she assumed to be an intruder for their bad door manners only to see a frenzied Caleb in the doorway now being gripped by her tail, the bell above the door still jangling wildly from force. She quickly retracted her tail a little embarrassedly, now swishing behind her as she tapped her mouth with the end of her paintbrush thoughtfully in concern as she surveyed him. “ _What happened to you_? Are you okay?”

His gaze went to somewhere above her head, a little red coming to his cheeks— or whatever was left since he was practically covered in soot, his hands rubbing nervously at his arms, where she noted was a little more concentrated. “Played with some fire and got a little too close, but I am fine. Still alive.”

“Really? That’s the bar you set for yourself?” she asked teasingly with a raised eyebrow, pushing up the sleeve absentmindedly of her very paint stained dress with her wrist to not get more paint on it. “You sure you’re fine though? Being covered in soot doesn’t seem like a very fine thing to me.”

“I promise I’m fine, Jester, just a little singed is all,” he reassured her, beginning to walk away and she frowned, stepping in front of him quickly and staring him down with a concerned look (despite the fact he still held quite a bit of height over her).

“Nuh uh, lemme see,” she prompted and he begrudgingly gave in, laying his hands open and she handled his hands gently with her wrists, avoiding touching him with her fingers lest she get paint all over him. For good measure, she casted a Cure Wounds at first level by lightly pressing a kiss to the back of his hand just in case he was lying about being fine— plus, the day was practically over and it was one first level slot— _she’d live_. “There, a kiss to make it all better!”

“Ah, thank you,” he said, retracting his hands back, absolutely pink in the face, rubbing at his arms and he gave a small and fond smile in extra thanks. “A little healing wasn’t all too necessary, though, but I do appreciate it.”

“It’s no problem!” She gave a thumbs up to help reassure her statement, and then was immediately appalled at how dark patches of soot were covering her wrists and gasped dramatically. “ _Cayleb._ ”

“Sorry, _Schatz_.” But a quick look to his face showed only the barest sincerity in the word as he suppressed a laugh with a smile, staring at her dramatic reaction with amusement. She pouted, right before she wickedly grinned and smeared a finger across his face, which was now aghast at her actions and covered with a streak of blue paint that matched the Nicodranas water running down his cheek.

She’s too busy laughing at her petty revenge to realize that he was reaching out and grabbing her by the wrist, pulling away too late and finding a dark black streak of soot across her blue skin. She saw him grin and decided: fine, this is a war now, and dunked her fingers in her still open paint can before flicking them right at Caleb, who began to laugh in disbelief at her action. The sight of the paint splattering across his skin looking just a little like freckles and the sound of his laugh is just enough to warm her heart to make Jester distracted as he takes his hand and runs it down her cheek to her neck, leaving soot in its wake. She scoffed a little and grabbed the lapel of his coat and tugged, smearing her entire hand across his face when he stumbled towards her, making sure to move her hand back and forth and to run her hand through his hair to really get the paint in there.

“This paint is non-toxic, right?” he asked in a rush as yellow paint dripped thickly from his mouth and face and she blinked, a little jarred out of her fighting spirit.

“Uh, yes?” she guessed, and then he kissed her, paint and all. She laughed, sheerly from the silliness of it all and she felt him smile into it, his arms going around her and her arms going to his neck, still covered in paint. This wasn’t their first kiss by any means, but that didn’t mean it lost any of the absolute euphoria every time they did. “ _Caaaayleb_ , you’re getting paint all in my mouth!”

“You said it was non-toxic!” he argued with a teasing smile, but he pulled away anyways and she took the opportunity to run her fingers through his hair, paint threaded in the strands. “Really?”

She giggled, still continuing as he made no move to turn away or reject her actions. “What can I say? I think your hair would look _very_ hot yellow.”

“Don’t say that— I’ll actually do it, _liebchen_ ,” he warned in a low voice and she giggled again, her hands stilling in his painted hair. He wiped the side of his face with a hand, smiling fondly at her— and then wiping the paint down her face with a smile.

“ _Cayleb_ ,” she whined so dramatically that anyone else would’ve thought he was about to be put on a drastic time out, but his smile only widened, a laugh breaking out of him when she pushed forward and knocked him to the floor right by her green paint can, her legs splayed across him. “You’ve been a _very_ bad guest. Time to pay for your crimes.”

She moved to smack his face with another helping of paint before— oh. That was unexpected. He had dunked his hand in the green paint can beside them and was busy wiping her face with it and running his hand through her hair like she did his. “Look, now we’re matching.”

She could only smile at him for it and decided against giving him another slap of paint. “It’s nice to hear you laugh.”

“Well, you make it so easy,” he admitted, letting his hand linger for a moment too long before coming to lay on the floor beside him. She rolled off of him and laid beside him, the two of them just staring at the ceiling, physically drained from chasing each other around the entryway and slinging paint and streaking soot— among other things. She could still feel her nerves buzzing under all the paint that covered her face (and probably a little in her mouth, if she was being honest).

“You owe me ten gold for the paint, by the way.”

 _Smack_. A hand full of wet paint to the side of her face she barely had time to register until the damage was done. “Well, better make sure it’s a ten gold well spent, _ja_?”

**Author's Note:**

> okay. okay Look they weren't even supposed to be together in this one but THEN i was like: okay but what if they KISSED and thus here we are you can get a little fluff as a treat. had a lot of fun writing this because happy caleb is arguably best caleb and yk a paint fight is definitely one way to relieve tension! happy thursday folks and know i love you and that you deserve love <3!  
> (catch me on @thegirlofsmarts on tumblr!)


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